Up to the fresh twentieth-century peasants considered that when you look at the spring season it is actually an effective grave sin so you can strike the planet which have things prior to February twenty-five, because in those days the world are pregnant. Plowing and you will looking was basically forbidden towards getaways associated with goddess. For centuries, peasants accept issues over assets by the calling through to Mother earth so you can witness brand new fairness of the says. Marriages were confirmed from the participants’ eating lumps out of earth (a customs submitted in nineteenth-century northern Russia). Oaths had been taken in an identical style (attested just like the late just like the 1870 on the Orel district away from main Russia) otherwise by the putting earth to your one’s direct. This new corn (we.age., grain) spirit try personified while the Corn Mother otherwise while the Dated Rye (Barley, Grain, otherwise Oat) Lady. She produced crops build. At accumulate, it absolutely was considered that she is contained in the last stalks from cereals kept standing worldwide. Into the Pomerania, the one who cut the history stalks off cereals fashioned them into the an excellent toy, which was named Corn Mom or Old Woman and you will are put house for the last truck. In certain portion, this new Corn Mom, when it comes to a doll otherwise a wreath, was symbolically wet that have h2o (drowned) and you can is kept before the adopting the springtime, when the their cereals was mixed with the fresh new seed products grain at the growing time. This new agricultural stage from dying (harvest) and you can rebirth (planting) was ergo ensured, life-taking and you may lives-providing therefore.
Nymphs
Two types of nymph had been known to the Slavs: vila s and you will rusalka s. Both are usually portrayed as the breathtaking young women, regardless of if rusalka s also are also known as people or as old female.
Vilas
Of numerous Slavs considered that vila s got its start eg flora toward day dew otherwise that they was in fact born in the event that sunrays shone through the precipitation. Anyone else mentioned that vila s was born of meadow grasses whoever roots resembled garlic lights; still anyone else believed that these were produced of your hills. The brand new vila is depicted given that a highly beautiful young girl whom wears a finer white dress and whoever long, loose, red or gold locks fall more their unique back and breasts. She’s famous regarding a person maiden by their unique base, which wind up as the fresh new hooves off a beneficial donkey otherwise a great goat. She will become a pony, good swan, or a good falcon. Because the she is so gorgeous, she don’t tolerate the clear presence of some one much more beautiful than simply she or whoever laughs during the sight from their own base. Had of supernatural power, she can, which have just one glance, kill anyone who displeases their. You will find about three categories of vila, in the mountains, having h2o, and with clouds. The newest slope vila facilitate look after children and you can orphans, water vila normally poison springs, plus the cloud vila, who has got wings, can fly. Notorious on the South Slavic town is the tale out of this new Swan Maiden: she are a cloud vila compelled to get to be the wife regarding a good mortal when he stole their particular wings; after she discovers her wings and flies off to new clouds. The water vila lives close h2o, sometimes from the mountain lakes and you may springs otherwise for the seacoast, often when you look at the caves otherwise pits on the earth. The vila s can see the dialects regarding seafood and you will wild birds. They frequently gather close liquids where they dancing within the an excellent kolo chechen beautiful women (“circle”). If the an individual disrupts the kolo, they might blind him or make your dancing up to he falls deceased. Possibly, the vila s dancing its kolo from the clouds. During the Slavic folklore vila s was associated with illness and you may injuries. Still, they are able to including restore wounds having herbs and certainly will cure grave problems, specifically blindness and you will barrenness.
